Head Coach at College Football Powerhouse Predicted to Underperform in 2026

College football fans might have unwittingly taken a lesson from Spiderman, as the thinking now mirrors that comic/show/movie series that with great power comes great responsibility. Getting to run one of the most outstanding college football programs of all-time comes with expectations. In the modern era of college football parity, those expectations can be tough to meet.

The Athletic's Stewart Mandel recently contempalted the college football landscape and admitted that one coach, who has failed to meet program expectations in the last two seasons would be a pick to struggle in the same department again in 2026. While Mandel is more bullish about 2027, it's fair to wonder if the coach in question will be retained through 2027.

The Power That Could Struggle

Mandel sees a challenging season ahead for Alabama and head coach Kalen DeBoer. After a pair of four-loss seasons and an inability to get beyond the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, DeBoer has fallen short of what is expected at Alabama. Mandel writes, "Realistic expectations for Alabama should include annual CFP appearances, near-annual SEC contention and regular national title contention."

But Mandel doesn't see a clear path there in 2026. Mandel notes that Alabama will be "young, especially on offense" in the season ahead. Veteran QB Ty Simpson is off to the NFL and will be replaced by one of several inexperienced backups, to name one pivotal spot.

The loss of veteran QB Ty Simpson to the NFL hurts Alabama's short-term prospects for success. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Mandel also doesn't love Alabama's schedule, which he notes starts out early, but then comes a mid-October on Murderers' Row: Georgia, at Tennessee, Texas A&M, and at LSU. That four-game run seems likely to define Alabama's season. Otherwise, road trips to Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt shouldn't pose much trouble. Home games against Florida State and Auburn could be a bit tougher, but not much.

SEC Catching Up with Alabama?

The big issue for Alabama is sliding in the SEC pecking order. Yes, Georgia has long been another viable threat to win from the conference. But heading into 2026, Texas and Steve Sarkisian look daunting. Texas A&M was stout a year ago, and LSU isn't paying Lane Kiffin all those millions of dollars to just hang around.

Add Alabama to the list of teams struggling to find their place in the post-Nick Saban, parity-heavy world of college football. Teams like Indiana, Texas Tech, and Miami found success in 2025 that eluded Alabama. Yes, the coaching transition has slowed the Tide. But so has the brave new world of college football where literally anybody can compete-- and suddenly the blue bloods aren't so different from anyone else.

Can Kalen DeBoer survive another four (or so) loss season and a short run (or a miss) in the CFP? While Alabama fans hope they don't find out, the rest of the SEC has loaded up to make life difficult for the Tide. And a young Alabama team might struggle to answer the bell.